Alton Sterling’s five children settled with the city of Baton Rouge, LA for $4.5 million, according to a statement from their attorneys on June 11. The East Baton Rouge Metro Council in Louisiana voted on a $4.5 million settlement Wednesday, June 8 for the family of Sterling, a Black man shot and killed by police in 2016.
“On behalf of the family of Alton Sterling, we are pleased to announce that we have reached a $4.5 million settlement with the city of Baton Rouge and dismissed our lawsuit against the city and others,” the family’s attorneys said in a statement.
According to CNN, the council voted 7-4 in favor of offering the settlement to Sterling’s family after they filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the city and the Baton Rouge Police Department. The settlement comes after the governing council rejected a proposed $5 million settlement for Sterling’s family in November 2020. At the time, the 12-member East Baton Rouge Metro Council fell one vote short of the seven needed for approval.
“I am pleased our metro council was able to find a consensus and approve an offer of settlement in the Alton Sterling civil case. After nearly five years, the people of Baton Rouge are finally one step closer to getting much-needed closure in this traumatic episode in our history. Now we must continue the work of building a more fair and equitable community, where every citizen is treated justly, no matter their race or ethnicity,” tweeted Baton Rouge Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome.
Sterling was killed after being shot several times by police at close range. Blane Salamoni, the officer who fatally shot Sterling, was fired in March 2018 for violations of the department’s use of force policy, while officer Howie Lake was suspended for three days.
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